Fishing spinning reels have an anti-reverse device for preventing rotation of a rotor in a fishing line releasing direction (hereunder referred to as a “backward rotation”). The anti-reverse device typically includes an anti-reverse gear (ratchet) rotating integrally with rotators such as a handle shaft and a pinion shaft, and an anti-reverse pawl (ratchet pawl) engaging with the anti-reverse gear when the rotators rotate in the backward direction.
Conventional anti-reverse devices are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication 2003-250401 (the “'401 Publication”) and Japanese Utility Model Application Publication Sho. 58-16066 (the “'066 Publication”). The anti-reverse device disclosed in the '401 Publication and the '066 Publication has a friction action member (cam) that raises the anti-reverse pawl when a rotor rotates in a fishing-line winding direction (hereunder referred to as “forward rotation”). In this manner, it is possible to prevent a sound from being made when the anti-reverse pawl moves away from the trajectory of teeth of the anti-reverse gear during the forward rotation of the rotor and the anti-reverse pawl passes the tip of each tooth of the anti-reverse gear.
The cam described in the '401 Publication includes a friction clip that is attached to rotators rotated by the rotation of a rotor when the fishing line is released and a rotational operation of a handle. The friction clip member rotates together with the rotators due to the friction force caused between the rotators and the friction clip. The cam further includes a coil spring biasing a clamping force of the friction clip against the rotators. The friction clip includes two clip members clipping the rotators and a connecting portion that connects the two clip members such that they are openable and closable. The connecting portion serves as a protrusion that is situated at a radially-outer side and engages with the anti-reverse pawl. When the rotators rotate in the forward rotational direction of the rotor, the cam pushes the anti-reverse pawl via the protrusion and thereby the anti-reverse pawl is raised such that it is about to come off from the trajectory of the anti-reverse gear. The cam rotates together with the rotators so the protrusion receives a reactive force from the anti-reverse pawl when the protrusion raises the anti-reverse pawl, however the cam can securely raise the anti-reverse pawl against the reactive force. Once the cam raises the anti-reverse pawl, the protrusion is kept engaging with the anti-reverse pawl and the forward rotation of the cam is restricted.
In the above-described conventional anti-reverse device, the frictional force between the rotators and the cam is generated when the rotor rotates in the forward direction so that it hampers a smooth rotation of the rotators. Moreover, the clip member tends to be worn out quickly due to the friction between the clip member and the rotators.
In the anti-reverse device of the '401 Publication, the circumference of the rotator is supported by the entire circumference of the inner periphery of the friction clip member as it tightly contacts with the friction clip member. Therefore, the friction clip member may often contact with the rotator in an unsymmetrical manner and it may destabilize the friction force generated between the rotator and the friction clip member.
In addition, water and foreign substances may easily penetrate into the anti-reverse device of the '401 Publication. In order to prevent this, a casing member that covers the cam, the anti-reverse gear and the anti-reverse pawl disposed in front of the reel body is provided to protect the cam from shocks, water and foreign substances. However, the casing body is made relatively large in order to cover all of the anti-reverse gear, the anti-reverse pawl, and the cam. This increases the size of the fishing spinning reel. Consequently, the weight of the fishing spinning reel is increased and may degrade the operability of the reel.